Expendables 4 Review: The Weakest Movie In The Franchise
Over the decades, Sylvester Stallone has been the face of many iconic franchises.
The “Expendables” films are still inferior to “Rocky” and “Rambo,” but they are better than, for example, “Escape Plan.” The series begins with two old-school hard-R action films. "Expendables 3" was rated PG-13 to appeal to a younger audience (something Stallone himself later complained about), resulting in the worst box office performance of the series.
Nearly a decade after the film's lackluster release, we have Expendables 4 - or as the marketing calls it: Expend4bles . (I can only imagine it comes from the same people who created Scre4m and Fant4stic.)
None of the Expendables films have been particularly impressive, but the latest film shows that the franchise's return to its R-rated roots isn't a surefire success. Didn't we learn anything from A Good Day to Die Hard? “The Expendables 4” is simply fantastic, the weak part of a series that has no chance of becoming one of the best parts of a series that, like its heroes, is long past its prime.
While franchise veteran Stallone returns as Barney Ross in the film, Jason Statham takes the helm of this action franchise as star and producer. This is Statham's fourth film of the year after Operation Fortune, Fast X and Meg 2: The Trench. He's reserved and busy, but he's been playing the same character for decades. The other two remaining stars are Dolph Lundgren and Randy Couture. Expendables 4 will no longer feature familiar faces like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, Harrison Ford, Chuck Norris, Wesley Snipes, Terry Crews and Jet Li, all of whom have reasons not to return. This left a hole in the franchise that Expendables 4 doesn't do a good job of filling.
The action sequel features on-screen appearances from 50 Cent, Megan Fox and Levy Tran, none of whom have the movie legacy or charisma of the aforementioned stars. Jacob Scipio plays the son of Galgo, Banderas' character from the third film. The only reason I can think of why Galgo isn't in this movie is because Banderas didn't want to come back. To take his place, we asked Scipio to make a mold of Banderas' character in the shape of a biker's mouth. None of their characters are interesting. While none of the Expendables films are known for their characterization, these characters are not fun to watch. Tony Jaa is a welcome addition to a series he should be in, but it's full of vile dialogue. These characters are as important to you as the plastic figures.
The least this movie can do is show us a good villain. The series features villains played by Eric Roberts, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Mel Gibson. The villain of this film is played by Iko Uwais. On paper, Uwais is a fantastic casting choice. Anyone who has seen him in The Raid, Headshot or The Night Comes For Us knows what a great martial artist he is. However, like most martial artists, Hollywood didn't know how to take advantage of him. Uwais was underused in American films such as Mile 22, Stuber and Snake Eyes. This is another example of a film that doesn't play to its strengths. He is one of the best fighters in modern martial arts films, but he only fights in the last round.
When we finally get to the fight, it's mostly in medium close-up. “The Expendables 4” is directed by Scott Waugh, who has never directed a good action film before. His filmography includes "Need for Speed" and the latest John Cena/Jackie Chan film, "Hidden Strike." He's not the worst action director in Hollywood, but his fight scenes never look as good as they should. The choice of framing and shots is almost acceptable, and when you have action directors like David Leitch, Christopher McQuarrie and Sam Hargrave in this business, you are sure to do more than acceptable. The film offers a little entertainment here and there, especially in the ending soundtrack. However, it's one of those movies that is fun to watch, but you won't remember it after the credits roll.
A hard-R action film, "Expendables 4" brings back the blood of the first two films, but never feels brutal. His characterization makes the film suffer as Uwais plays a disposable villain. Her fighting skills could have been a threat from the start, but the opening scene that was supposed to introduce her to us disappeared before we could see it. A later scene in which his character threatens to shoot a child might be effective, but the child's performance is terrible. The child didn't seem scared at all, despite seeing his mother dead on the ground, his father tied up and a gun pointed at his head. It turns out that these are Waugh's instructions for the child to behave like a dummy.
But the adults' game wasn't much better. Jason Statham plays Jason Statham in this film. If you've seen any of his other films, you know what to expect from him. But apparently 50 Cent and Jaa are very poor here. Fox's sex appeal is on full display and she has almost no character beyond that. His character also became Andy García, who also has some really ridiculous dialogue. You'll roll your eyes at the predictable dialogue and unfinished plot.
Oh, and did I mention the green screen? Here it is clear, shocking and downright ugly. Some of these shots are included in the trailer, and it's surprising how obvious it is that the characters are set against a fake backdrop. Additionally, the opening scene, which may be the most emotional moment of the series, feels hollow due to the script and direction. “Expendables 4” lacks the novelty of 80s and 90s action heroes like Schwarzenegger, Willis and Ford relying on their famous roles. Instead, Stallone makes a glorified appearance, Statham criticizes a misogynistic social media influencer, and 50 Cent... says a few lines.
Empty, empty and purposeless, the Expend-Four-able MIA is best left dead in the water.
As explained in ComingSoon's rating guidelines, a rating of 3 equals "Poor." Due to the considerable difficulties, this medium appears to be a challenge.
Disclosure: ComingSoon attended one of our press screenings Consumables Overview 4 .
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